The Gist / Business

May, 2010


Book Review: An Imperfect Teacher

Jeff Kehoe - hbr.org

The Ambiguities of Experience by James G. March (Cornell University Press, 2010)

“Experience may possibly be the best teacher, but it is not a particularly good teacher.”  You might think that Winston Churchill or perhaps Mark Twain spoke those words, but this clever and provocative statement actually comes from James March, a professor emeritus at Stanford University and a pioneer in the field of organizational decision making. For decades March, perhaps the wisest philosopher of management, has illuminated how humans think and behave, and he continues to do so here.

He begins by reminding us of just how deeply beholden we have become, in our organizational lives, to the idea of experiential learning: “Experience is venerated; experience is sought; experience is interpreted.” The problem is that learning from experience involves serious complications, ones that are intrinsic to the nature of experience itself and which are explored in the body of this book.

In one fascinating chapter, for example, he turns a skeptical eye toward the elevation of stories as the most effective mode for experiential learning. In our efforts to make stories compelling, he argues, we sacrifice the complicated truth of things. As he quips, “The more accurately reality is reflected, the less comprehensible the story, and the more comprehensible the story, the less realistic it is.” Besides being a broadly erudite scholar, March is also a poet, and his talent shines through in the depth of insight he offers, the breadth of allusion he portrays, and the concise language he uses. Though the book is short, it is challenging: Don’t pick it up looking for quick, easy lessons. Rather, be ready to ponder your assumptions about learning from experience in work and life. The rewards are here.


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